New Year's Eve!
by NineSoul
Summary: How did Zoro and Sanji spend their New Year's Eve? Click and find out. Okay, that was bad... T for Language. AU, semi-sequel-ish-thing to Halloween.


_**Hiyaaaaasss! I am so sorry, this is waaaaay late, but, I really did try. Now, I can work on my fics that have been blowing in the wind for weeks... -.-;**_

_**In any case, Happy New Year! It's a little late to say that, but, I had stuff to do, and I'm sure everyone else did, too.**_

_**I don't own ONE PIECE, though I often wish I did. Enjoy!**_

It was official. Zoro was going to have a sucky year. Why? Well, the idea planted itself in Zoro's head for the first time around Christmas, when he had to give his students a Winter Break in accordance to their parents' wishes. That was about the same time that Zoro got his Break, so, all he could do was train, or hang out with his friends. He went with the latter, more often than not.

But, that was not his choice. Zoro did like hanging out with his friends, but what he really wanted to do was hang out with Sanji. The universe, or perhaps something less dramatic, was against Zoro in that. The Baratie had a boom in business that, coincidentally, started the first day of Sanji and Zoro's Break, and had not let up long enough for them to talk.

No. That was how Zoro always thought of it, but, truly, Sanji had gotten Christmas off and had spent it with Zoro, and they'd gone on a date or two before and after that. All of those occasions were wonderful, but, Zoro still wanted more. Nothing good could happen between them if they weren't together.

Every day, Zoro wondered if Sanji would dump him for not trying hard enough to be together. He knew that was stupid because it was Sanji's fault that they weren't together. And he knew _that_ was stupid because he couldn't blame Sanji for the Baratie's sudden popularity. And... Well, a lot of other things followed that chain of 'stupid' and they led straight back to _'is Sanji going to break up with me_?'

That question was far too insecure sounding for Zoro to tolerate, so, he took the obvious course of action; He told the cook there was an emergency at his house, and to be there as soon as possible.

Zoro had taken a few drama lessons from their very own drama-king, Ussop, and he'd rehearsed, no matter how idiotic it felt, for a few minutes before leaving that message on Sanji's phone. The problem being, it was just a message. The cook hadn't answered. There was no telling when he'd get around to it. The swordsman had only been waiting five minutes before he decided to take a walk.

The town in which Zoro lived was hardly navigable, so, he turned in the direction he believed to be west, and started walking. Why West, one might ask, and to that, Zoro would have no answer. He would wager a guess that West sounded more peaceful, though. Zoro was hoping the peace of the West part of the island would calm his mind long enough for it to hatch a plan.

Sanji was having a bad day. So bad, in fact, that he hardly knew what day it was. Hardly, as in, the only reason he could remember was because it was a very important day. It was New Year's Eve, and it was important, not only because it was the countdown to the New Year, but, because he planned to spend it with his *Taisetsu na Hito. This would, of course, be Zoro.

But, Sanji's 'bad' rang the bell over the door to the restaurant several times, most of them signaling the departing customers. He was going to be free soon. It was the perfect upside to his down-dragging day. He'd get to spend some time with Zoro, and, he would no longer have to spend time cooking for the brutish, drunken crowd that rolled in after dark. An abundance of strange people had an early celebration, it seemed.

Sanji was done with it. And, nothing would relieve him more than to find that his favorite Moss was still awake when he got off work in, (Sanji checked his watch just one more time, to be sure he'd seen correctly), three minutes and fifty-seven seconds. He wasn't sure if his working hours were normal again, since their business was not, but, he was leaving at regular closing time, and that was that. Oh, the power that came with being Zoro-deprived.

The time passed on a steep up-hill slant, but, Sanji stuck it out, and he was out the door, jacket, wallet, keys and cell phone in hand. He checked his messages before starting his car, noticing he had a few missed calls.

Luffy, Ussop and Chopper were all on one message trying to shout 'Happy New Year' all at the same time, and failing with flying colors. That was them, though. Robin had called, also, to wish him a Happy New Year. Sanji promised himself that he would return her call with the utmost gratitude. The last call, countering perfectly the happy that the other two had brought, scared the shit out of Sanji.

Zoro sounded panicked, upset. That wasn't something that Sanji had ever heard. Not like that. Zoro sounded distracted by something else in the room, and he was almost _asking_ Sanji to come over. ASKING.

As fast as he could, throwing caution to the wind, Sanji peeled out of the parking lot, and floored it to Zoro's house.

_What the hell?_ Zoro looked around at the wooded area he'd come into, eyebrows pulled together in confusion and aggravation. He could have sworn he was in a different country from when he started. None of the people, buildings, trees, rocks and shit he saw looked familiar._ Maybe that... wasn't west?_

Zoro pulled out his phone only to discover there was no signal. Wherever he was, he was pretty damn far from where he started, Zoro concluded. It was really dark out, and under an hour until midnight, according to his phone, anyway. He had pretty much screwed his chances of being home when Sanji finally came over. Unless, of course, the cook didn't fall for his little act. Or, if he just didn't want to see Zoro.

As he turned and went back the way he came from, Zoro assured himself that, whether the cook wanted to or not, they were going to see each other before midnight. After that, they could figure out what needed to be figured out. Like, when Sanji was going to quit his job so Zoro didn't get so desperate as to leave an Ussop-tutored message on the blonde's phone.

Zoro moved a little bit faster, as the first firework of the night sounded in the distance, towards his house.

When Sanji pulled up in Zoro's driveway, he barely put his car in park before he was marching up to the door. He rang the doorbell six times in quick succession, cussing and whispering 'come on, come on'. He tried to look in through the small window in the door, but it was dark inside and he couldn't see anything.

Sanji knew where the spare key was, so, he checked under the ironic moss-covered rock just off the wooden porch. He picked up the key and stepped back up to the door, fumbling a little before the lock cooperated and opened for him.

"Zoro! You in here?" Sanji called, not stopping to take his shoes off as he entered the main room. No lights were on, and no Moss was anywhere to be found. The panicking then began for Sanji. _Where would Zoro really be at this time of night? Training? At a friend's house? But, why would he have left that message if he were going to train or visit friends? Damn, I wish he'd said what was wrong..._

"Ha-! Fucking _duh_!" Sanji exclaimed, whipping out his poor cell phone and punching in Zoro's number although he was sure he had it on speed dial. He paced back and forth just inside the door, not saying a peep for fear that, if he did speak before Zoro picked up, Zoro would not pick up. It rang five times... six... seven... nothing. It didn't even go to voicemail. It just rang and rang. "Pick up, damn it!" Sanji growled. It didn't help. He had to track Zoro down, especially if nothing was wrong. To calm his nerves, yes, but, also to kick Zoro's ass.

"Still no signal..." Zoro observed, holding his cell phone up in the moonlight. He had no fucking clue where he was, and it was getting worse. When they had arranged the town like a maze, he wasn't sure, but it was a shitty idea. Zoro'd been running around for what must have been twenty minutes, but, he was still in a very unpopulated area. He had passed by a spot with a population of approximately 'one angry mutha-fucka'. That guy was no help, though.

So, Zoro was still wandering blind. He was getting closer, he thought, because the fireworks grew more frequent and louder by the step. Zoro didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad one, but, he was going to follow the sound as best he could.

If he recalled correctly, his friends said they were going to watch the fireworks, so, wherever the fireworks were, his friends would be. And, one of them would probably have some idea how to get back to his house. That was his hope anyway, and hope was all he could do, as he heard an odd sound behind him that may or may not have been a wild animal.

Zoro marched onward, wondering to himself why he didn't bring his swords out on these walks with him.

Sanji had abandoned his car because Zoro didn't have a car so, if he knew Zoro, he'd wandered off somewhere completely remote where no roads could be paved. That is, if he hadn't hitched a ride with someone. Sanji hoped he hadn't. He wouldn't mind if Zoro got help from someone not himself, but, he _would_ mind if he had been searching on foot for fifteen minutes when Zoro was riding comfortably in a car somewhere.

The cook was completely out of his element, walking like he had no sense of direction, (Like, perhaps, Moss would), through some slippery, rocky, creepy place. He was decidedly lost when it seemed that animals were pointing and laughing at him.

But, he was going to keep on. Unless, of course, there were bugs. In which case, he was high-tailing it back to his car and opting for screaming out 'Marimo' at random spots within two miles of Zoro's house. That would work, right?

A random firework nearly scared the shit out of Sanji, causing him to whip around, just in case some creepy kid with a roman candle had wandered into this perfect setting for a horror movie. It sounded just that loud, but, nobody was behind him at all, let alone with fireworks. However, he did see the light from the firework shining on the trees. Since he was heading towards it himself, he wondered if Moss didn't congregate to the light. It was worth a shot to check, anyway.

Zoro held his phone up again, in the direction of a small lake he happened to run across. He had never been there before, but, it seemed like kind of a nice place. Or, at least a place with a good signal. Zoro shrugged, and started to text Sanji. _'You off work yet?'_

It worked, so, Zoro figured he was getting close. He watched the screen of his phone a moment longer and a message popped up. _'WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?'_ Even though it was a text, it made Zoro's ears hurt. He could read the anger in it.

Zoro looked around in hopes of acquiring some version of title to his location. He quickly typed in what he could see as indications of where he was. _'Near a rock that looks like an ass, a small lake... and trees.'_ Zoro read over his message once more before sending it. It was accurate, yes. Was it helpful? He would see.

Idly, Zoro walked forward, figuring that 'near trees' thing applied to wherever he went. It took only a second before his phone rang. Sanji was calling him, he saw, so, cautiously, Zoro answered. Holding the phone away from his ear, Zoro said, "Hey."

"_HEY? What the fuck! Don't 'hey' me! What was with that message earlier_?" Sanji screamed. Zoro took a breath to answer, but, Sanji wasn't done. "_Are you okay? Ass-rocks and trees are everywhere! Zoro, why in the hell did you get lost?"_

"I'm not-"

"_Shut up! You are too lost, and you know it! Just stay put, I'll be there in a few minutes._" Sanji hung up quickly, and tacked on a quiet 'hopefully', as he started in a random direction. He was glad and he was pissed, and that was what was keeping him from completely collapsing into a puddle of .

Zoro stopped mid-step. He didn't know what he was going to do until Sanji got there. Certainly the cook wouldn't be too upset if Zoro met him halfway? Zoro wasn't sure. But, he didn't want to further piss off a very unpleasant Sanji. So, he decided he'd walk around the small lake. Not the most productive task, but, he didn't want to just sit, and he didn't want to wander aimlessly.

Booming fireworks reflected on the water were the both the soundtrack and scenery to Zoro's little walk. It wasn't the best sound, but, the fireworks were beautiful. Some were loosely shaped into simple things like Sakura blossoms and happy faces. Zoro was pretty sure his friends were in awe at the show, jaws on the floor and all that. It would have been more fun if he'd gone to the fireworks show, Zoro thought.

After a few minutes, Sanji wasn't sure how many exactly, he spotted a familiar silhouette standing with his back to him, watching the fireworks. He wanted to call out but his mouth didn't listen. His feet listened, though, carrying him over to Zoro.

Sanji wrapped his arms around Zoro from behind, and buried his face in Zoro's shoulder. "You're an ass." He said, loud enough to be heard over the fireworks. Zoro laughed. "C'mere." The swordsman prodded Sanji's side with his hand, guiding him around to where he could call Zoro names to his face.

"I didn't think you'd want to see me." Zoro said, a tiny bit questioning. Sanji pouted at him. "Well, maybe I don't after that stupid performance! I thought you were in trouble!" Sanji scolded, kicking Zoro in the knee to emphasize his bright-and-shiny mood.

"Ow!" Zoro fought the urge to hit Sanji back, and instead tried to explain himself. "About that... Ussop told me to."

"Shut up! Nobody had any reason to know how much that would panic me except you!" Sanji yelled, scowling at Zoro. How he thought he could make excuses, Sanji didn't know, but, Zoro was skipping right out of line. "Why the fuck would you do that? Couldn't just have said 'hey, wanna come over'?" Sanji asked.

Zoro face went completely blank. "U-um..." He tilted his head so he could think properly, trying to come up with a viable reason for not doing something a little more obvious and a lot less dramatic. It was really hard to think though with an angry Sanji right up in his face, searching it for an answer since Zoro said nothing.

"Dumbass Marimo..." Sanji grumbled. Zoro thought he was going to storm off or something, but, the blonde didn't budge. In fact, Sanji got closer, which may have been foreboding a moment ago, but Sanji's anger rolled right off of him. "D'you know how worried I was? And, all for Moss like you." Sanji whispered, wrapping his arms around Zoro's neck delicately.

"Yeah, worried enough to kick me in the knee." Zoro snorted.

"You stop that right now. I'm serious Zoro." Sanji said glaring directly into Zoro's eyes from inches away. "How would you react if I left a message on your hone like that, and then wasn't anywhere to be found? And, you couldn't reach my cell?"

Zoro's humor screeched to a halt as his mind was forced to think of something he'd never considered. "... Sorry." Zoro mumbled, after a minute of his eyes growing steadily wider and more panicked. "Didn't think about that." Sanji just nodded, frown dissipating. "Of course you didn't." The cook mumbled.

They stood like that for a minute, almost as close as two people could possibly be, forgetting the fireworks entirely. Zoro, of course, felt very badly for having made Sanji worry like that, though he hadn't known Sanji would freak out. Sanji, on the other hand, might as well have been on cloud nine. He was happy that Zoro was okay, and he loved the setting they were in, standing so close together in the moonlight by a small body of water, portraying the explosions in the sky.

Sanji could tell that Zoro didn't even notice.

"Hey, what time is it?" Zoro asked, suddenly. Sanji looked at Zoro and raised his eyebrows. "Seriously?" He questioned. Zoro nodded, reaching into Sanji's back pocket, causing him to blush profusely. "W-w-w-what are you doing?" Sanji asked, jumping slightly.

Zoro snorted at the voice Sanji had just conjured of what sounded like embarrassment. "I'm getting your phone, idiot. Mine's battery died a minute ago." Zoro stated, leaning back so he could see Sanji. He basked in the glory of that beautifully red face before turning his attention to the time on Sanji's phone. "Hmm. Just in time. It's twenty-something seconds until midnight."

Sanji couldn't form words. Zoro, for a perfectly innocent purpose, touched his ass, and didn't bat an eye. Zoro raised his eyebrows at Sanji in an expectant way, almost like he was urging the blonde to say something. "Uhh..." Sanji managed, blinking confusedly. "Happy New Year?"

"Happy New Year." Zoro said, nodding. Seeing as Sanji wasn't functioning correctly, Zoro took that as a sign that it was safe to initiate things. The swordsman closed the inches between himself and the cook, pressing their lips together gently, so as not to scare the fuck out of Sanji. Again. That night. He hoped.

Sanji wasn't sure if he wanted to give into Zoro's strange whims, but... It was their first kiss of the New Year. And, it was Zoro. So, yeah. He didn't really have to convince himself to kiss Zoro back. It was a reflex. It was wonderful. Something in the back of his mind told Sanji that it was just Zoro's way of distracting him from being angry about his earlier stunt, but, Sanji didn't mind.

- (The next morning) -

Sanji poured two mugs of coffee, one black, and one dressed up with some milk and sugar. His morning was going wonderfully. He was humming the tune to a song he'd improvised on the spot, with a bounce in his step. Oh, yes, this year was going to be a good one.

As he was passing through the living room to the bedroom, Sanji spotted Zoro's phone lying wil-nil on the couch where it must have been tossed in their hurry the night before. He remembered what Zoro said about its battery having died, so he picked the thing up and plugged it into the wall. It lit up immediately, showing Zoro had missed a call, a few texts, and a calendar was up telling him it was the New Year, in case he had forgotten.

Through all of that, Sanji noticed one thing that made his eyebrow twitch. "Full... battery... That perv."

_**Well, that was a strange ending, wasn't it? I thought it was funny, but, I crack myself up way too easily. Tell me what YOU think! Reviews are loved!**_

_**P.S. (I can't remember what that stands for..?) This is not so much a sequel as a piece to the puzzle. It was intended to be a sequel, but, it sort of strayed into a broken off story of it's own. ^-^ I hope nobody minds that too much.**_


End file.
